Presentation Editor

For the first time, First Presbyterian Weekday School held a live nativity scene Thursday ending with not only their church and school members, but the community as a whole invited to watch.

“We were looking for a way to share the story of the birth of Christ in a very hands-on way that would be appropriate and memorable and would mean something to young children and that’s what we’re about,” Weekday School Director Elaine Johnson said. “We’re also about sharing the love of Jesus with them.”

While the nativity scene had some children involved, the majority of the scene comprised adults from the church taking roles as kings or shepherds.

“Two young couples in our church are Mary and Joseph for an hour each,” Johnson said.

There were also real babies involved, too, playing baby Jesus. In the first nativity scene, Mary and Joseph were played by Rachel and Dala Griffeth, and baby Jesus was played by their 7-week-old daughter, Katie.

Besides the nativity scene, there were also more than 20 live animals involved in the production, including a miniature donkey and a cow, along with lambs that children were able to pet. “We just got here, but it’s really neat,” church member Megan Sperr said. “It’s fun for the kids to see the animals and the experience.”

“It was 6:15 and we had a big crowd inside and out, but we feel so blessed that we can share this hands-on way of sharing Jesus’ story with the children and the Weekday School has been so supported by the Church here or we couldn’t put something like this on,” Johnson added.

There was even a llama and a camel which the children were excited to pet. Besides the nativity scenes, children were able to go into the Weekday School and Sunday School areas and make ornaments or other crafts.

“I feel like they will drink this in as children do and they will absorb this in like children do,” Johnson said. “It’s something that they will really remember.”